Security has always been a concern in New York City’s co-op and condo buildings. Whether you’re a manager, board member/shareholder, or unit owner in an urban co-op or condo, your building isn’t just your home; it’s a community, and a safe …

New York City's building code is a complex set of documents, regulations, amendments, "letters," and local laws regulating every aspect of building construction and maintenance from window specifications, boiler maintenance, elevators, ex…

This year, New York City celebrated the centennial of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s public transit system. From its humble beginnings as a fleet of horse-drawn stagecoaches to its current incarnation as the largest pub…

Garbage is a problem that every city has to deal with. In New York City alone, it's estimated that every person generates 2.5 pounds of garbage a day. Given a population of roughly 8 million, that garbage piles up into unsightly heaps very…

Given the number of breaths we all take on any given day, it's surprising that more attention isn't given to air quality. The subject usually only comes up when there's a problem - after people start sneezing or feeling ill. As with any po…

One of the most effective means of enhancing the value of an apartment or house is through "cosmetic" renovations. These types of improvements are, ostensibly, surface upgrades that address the appearance of a property, rather than such s…

Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone completed renovations on time? Reducing the time the construction process takes in a cooperative or condominium building benefits everyone. The renovators are able to occupy their apartments sooner, whi…

A casual passer-by on Eighth Avenue in Chelsea could easily pass a particular cluster of high-rises on the west side of the street and think they're just a group of typical Manhattan residential buildings. But they're not. Mutual Rede…

In New York City, you can have just about anything delivered to your door at any hour of the day or night. Food, furniture, entertainment; you name it, you pay for it, and you got it. This is a city where convenience and efficiency are val…

Locked out? Need your heat fixed? Perhaps your apartment has a problem with multi-legged creatures. Who are you going to call? Your building superintendent, of course. Your super is there to repair the broken, find the missing, and restore…